Tag: Donald Trump

Mueller Charges: Trump Should Worry

October 27, 2017
ConservativesDonald TrumpEthicsLegal
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Robert Mueller

Special Counsel Robert Mueller

CNN reports, “A federal grand jury in Washington, DC, on Friday approved the first charges in the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller, according to sources briefed on the matter.”

It’s happening.

And Donald Trump can tweet all he wants. But the charges are coming Monday.

More from CNN:

On Friday, top lawyers who are helping to lead the Mueller probe, including veteran prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, were seen entering the court room at the DC federal court where the grand jury meets to hear testimony in the Russia investigation.

Reporters present saw a flurry of activity at the grand jury room, but officials made no announcements.

Shortly after President Donald Trump abruptly fired then-FBI Director James Comey, Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel. Mueller took the reins of a federal investigation that Comey first opened in July 2016 in the middle of the presidential campaign.

Justice is coming for Donald Trump. And it will be blind.

He may think himself capable of shooting someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue in New York and getting away with it.

So far as we know, that’s fiction.

Maybe a dream Trump yearns for.

But these “high crimes and misdemeanors?” Well, we’re about to see exactly what is there.

At last.

Trump’s Early Ties To Moscow Become More Clear

August 28, 2017
ConservativesDonald TrumpElectionsEthicsRepublicans
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Donald Trump smug smile
From the New York Times:

A business associate of President Trump promised in 2015 to engineer a real estate deal with the aid of the president of Russia, Vladimir V. Putin, that he said would help Mr. Trump win the presidency.

The associate, Felix Sater, wrote a series of emails to Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, in which he boasted about his ties to Mr. Putin and predicted that building a Trump Tower in Moscow would highlight Mr. Trump’s savvy negotiating skills and be a political boon to his candidacy.

“Our boy can become president of the USA and we can engineer it,” Mr. Sater wrote in an email. “I will get all of Putins [sic] team to buy in on this, I will manage this process.”

“Our boy?” Is Donald Trump really some group’s “boy?” And what do they want from him in return?

What does Vladimir Putin want in return?

Trump Tears Into The Sun Over Eclipse: Borowitz

Andy Borowitz, New Yorker
August 19, 2017
ComedySatire
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Andy Borowitz, New Yorker

Read Andy Borowitz at The New Yorker.

IF you have not heard of Andy Borowitz, he’s the best satirist, in my estimation, since the legendary Art Buchwald.

Buchwald had Nixon, and more.

Borowitz now has Trump, the Alt-Right, and more.

Borowitz “reports” that Donald Trump is unhappy with the sun and the coverage the sun has received over Monday’s Great American Eclipse.

Here’s a taste:

“The sun thinks the world revolves around it,” Trump said. “Sad.”

Trump said the sun was a “big problem” that his predecessor, Barack Obama, did nothing to solve, but that that situation was about to change.

“It will be handled—we handle everything,” Trump said, adding that a preëmptive military strike on the sun was “very much on the table.”

Read more here.

Rolling Stone Ranks Anthony Scaramucci’s 10 Days in the White House

Anthony Scaramucci
August 1, 2017
Bad PoliticsBarack ObamaBusinessConservativesDonald TrumpEthicsGovernmentRepublicansWhite House
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Anthony Scaramucci

Anthony Scaramucci

Yes, it happened.

Turning Left readers are always very well informed, so this is not a breaking story.

Anthony Scaramucci was fired by President Donald Trump.

Rolling Stone ranks his 10 days in the White House, from “biblical murder analogies to denials of auto-fellatio, the Mooch’s brief tenure will be, at the very least, memorable.”

There was a false report today that Scaramucci’s wife was leaving him, filed for divorce, because he posted nude photos of her and loved politics more than she.

But that was satire.

What’s real?

Anthony Scaramucci lasted 10 days in the White House.

Here are notable firings and resignations from the Trump Administration, from our friends at LATimes.com:

  • Anthony Scaramucci, Director of communications (fired), 10 days
  • Reince Priebus, White House chief of staff (resigned), 189 days
  • Derek Harvey, National Security Council Middle East advisor (fired), 186 days
  • Michael Short, Assistant press secretary (resigned), 186 days
  • Sean Spicer, White House press secretary, White House director of communications (resigned), 182 days
  • Walter Shaub, Director of the Office of Government Ethics (resigned), 180 days
  • Robert Iger, Advisory council (resigned), 133 days
  • Elon Musk, Advisory council (resigned), 132 days
  • Mike Dubke, Director of communications (resigned), 85 days
  • K.T. McFarland, Deputy national security advisor (reassigned), 177 days
  • James B. Comey Jr., FBI director (fired), 109 days
  • Angella Reid, White House chief usher (fired), 105 days (and the only Person of Color on the list)
  • Katie Walsh, Deputy White House chief of staff (resigned), 69 days
  • Craig Deare, National Security Council senior director for Western Hemisphere affairs (fired), 26 days
  • Mike Flynn, National security advisor (resigned), 22 days
  • Sally Yates, Acting attorney general (fired), 10 days

That’s a list to rival, well, any previous administration.

More details here.

Candidate Donald Trump, The Don, Donnie “Make-America-Great-Again” T., boasted that he knew the best people. He would hire only the best people.

But he’s treating the West Wing like an episode of that little-watched The Apprentice, even calling the Cabinet Room as the “boardroom.”

Donald Trump, the most insecure man in America, governing, if you can call it that, out of spite for President Obama.

Who is next to go?

Bingo, anyone?

next to go, Trump administration

Who will be next to go in the Trump Administration.

Eight Years Ago? Fox News Attacked Pres. Obama For Using Dijon Mustard

Barack Obama eating hamburger
June 9, 2017
Barack ObamaConservativesDonald Trump
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Barack Obama eating hamburger

Barack Obama eating a hamburger.

Here’s some perspective for you.

At this point in his presidency, Fox News was attacking Barack Obama for using — gasp! — Dijon mustard on a hamburger.

Think about that.

And then think about the Comey hearings, Lyin’ Donnie T., and all that noise coming from The Big Oval these days.

Did the Predator In Chief invite you to dinner recently. After you arrived, did you suddenly feel uneasy because you were the only two in the room?

Creepy. Creepy. Creepy.

From Newsweek via Yahoo! News:

In news from eight years ago that appears to be from some alternate reality, Obama left the White House and went out for a local bite to eat with vice president and BFF Joe Biden in May. The two politicians ordered hamburgers, MSNBC journalist Andrea Mitchell reported at the time, with the sitting president requesting mustard on his red meat.

The story was featured on Sean Hannity’s show, Hannity’s America, as a screen showed a photoshopped image of Obama surrounded by bottles of mustard with the words “PRESIDENT POUPON” plastered on a red and white banner.

Let that soak in for a minute. Trump tweeted his support for Fox News Friday, commending them for the network’s morning show Fox And Friends’ “great reporting” job on ex-FBI Director James Comey’s Thursday testimony. The network’s rejection of Obama’s taste palette compared to its incredible support of the embattled Trump White House was seen by Twitter users as shocking at best, and propagandistic at worst.

That was “news” eight years ago.

And, now, Trump.

Is Donald Trump Talking To Portraits Of Past Presidents Yet?

Crazy Donald Trump
June 8, 2017
ComedyCongressConservativesCrime and PunishmentDonald TrumpEthicsWhite House
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Crazy Donald TrumpAh, Donald.

The Donald.

The Don.

Donnie.

Donnie T.

Crazy Donald.

Are you talking to portraits of past presidents yet?

You know, Richard Nixon did that.

You say you like Andrew Jackson, that the two of you are BFFs.

But you really should get to know Tricky Dicky, the original Richard “I am not a crook” Nixon.

Are you a liar, Donnie T?

As you laze about The Big Oval, or wander the Residence at night in your bathrobe, are you taking time to smell the paintings? Are you spending time talking to Andrew Jackson, or do you just admire him from afar?

James Comey testified today. For how long will your crew insulate you? For how long will the GOP spew out parseltongue, protecting you from yourself?

Were you really that ill prepared, as Speaker Paul Ryan suggests? Are you just too new at all of this? Are we to believe that James Comey is really to blame because he did not tell you that it was inappropriate for you to meet with him alone? Was it really up to Comey to correct you, sir, when you asked AG Jeff Sessions and Jared to leave The Big Oval so you could spend quality time with Mr. Comey?

Is there anything at all for which you will take responsibility?

How long until a new David Frost interviews you, after you’re, you know, out of office?

Is there a contemporary Dan Aykroyd in your future, sir Trump? Will Alec Baldwin be the ultimate closer for you on SNL?

The sooner the better.

Some day, some day soon, this….

Donald Trump Calls Out Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh Responds

June 1, 2017
Anti-ScienceBad PoliticsDonald TrumpEnvironmentEthicsGlobal WarmingRepublicansScience
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Donald Trump smug smile

Donald Trump mentioned Pittsburgh today, and that was a mistake.

The Bumbler In Chief called out Pittsburgh today when he announced that he would ditch the Paris Agreement.

The reaction from Pittsburgh has been a fast and furious rebut.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Pittsburgh is hogging the national spotlight, and it’s being shone on the city courtesy of President Donald Trump, who in a climactic moment about the climate, made the alliterative assertment that, when it comes to which accords he’ll agree to, he “was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.”

Which was surprising to Pittsburghers, because It’s worth noting that in November’s presidential election, Allegheny County and Pittsburgh were won by Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

So far, reaction has been swift.

And then there were the tweets, these from Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto:

And the voices go on from there.

Trump Sells Out Israel To Impress Russians

Donald Trump smug smile
May 16, 2017
Bad PoliticsDonald TrumpEthicsGovernmentRepublicansTerrorismWhite House
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Donald Trump smug smileThe secret intelligence Donald Trump boasted about in front of his Russian buddies?

It came from Israel.

Israel.

The lives that could be lost. The dangers we could face.

From the NYTimes:

The classified intelligence that President Trump disclosed in a meeting last week with Russian officials at the White House was provided by Israel, according to a current and a former American official familiar with how the United States obtained the information. The revelation adds a potential diplomatic complication to the episode.

Israel is one of the United States’ most important allies and a major intelligence collector in the Middle East. The revelation that Mr. Trump boasted about some of Israel’s most sensitive information to the Russians could damage the relationship between the two countries. It also raises the possibility that the information could be passed to Iran, Russia’s close ally and Israel’s main threat in the Middle East.

The potential for catastrophic fallout from the child in the White House, the child dying to impress others, is incredible.

I’m scared now.

Trump Campaign Chair in Kentucky County Arrested On Child Sex Trafficking Charges

April 22, 2017
ConservativesCrime and PunishmentLegalRepublicans
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Donald Trump, Tim Nolan

Donald Trump and Tim Nolan.

Well, here’s the ugly:

Tim Nolan, a local Republican political figure and the former chair of the Trump campaign for Campbell County, Kentucky, has been arrested and charged with “felony human trafficking of a minor, felony inducing a minor to engage in sex, and a third count of giving alcohol to a minor,” according to an indictment filed in Boone County, KY earlier this week.

According to the The River City News, who obtained the indictment on Friday, Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear has charged Nolan with “human trafficking (a class B felony), first degree unlawful transaction with a minor (a class C felony), and third degree unlawful transaction with a minor (a class A misdemeanor).”  All of the alleged felonies were committed in 2016, while he was chair of the Campbell County arm of the Trump campaign.

Nolan is also a former judge.

More ugly:

According to the indictment, obtained by The River City News, Nolan is accused of subjecting a minor under the age of 18 to “commercial sexual activity”. He is also accused of inducing a minor to engage in sexual activity. Nolan is also accused of providing alcohol to a minor.

More here.

Daniela Vargas Released From ICE; SPLC, Others, Celebrate

March 10, 2017
Bad PoliticsCivil RightsEthicsimmigrationRepublicans
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Daniela Vargas

Daniela Vargas

No doubt to the consternation of President Donald Trump (it still aches to type that, to say it), Daniela Vargas has been released from ICE. The freedom of the 22-year-old #Dreamer was heralded by the Southern Poverty Law Center:

We’ve just won an important legal victory.

Today, Daniela Vargas, a 22-year-old aspiring math teacher, was released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. A week ago, she had been detained by immigration agents moments after speaking publicly about immigrants’ rights.

It was a transparent attempt to chill free speech and intimidate immigrants who speak up. We filed a habeas petition to force her release and to stop her deportation.

“We’re joining the community in celebrating the release of our client, Dany Vargas,” said SPLC Deputy Legal Director Naomi Tsu.

“But we will continue to challenge the unconstitutional actions of ICE agents in this case and will not rest until she is no longer under threat of deportation. It is counterproductive and harmful to our communities for ICE to be targeting aspiring young people in this country and we urge ICE to release other immigrant youth held in detention.”

Read more about Dany’s case and the SPLC’s efforts to ensure detained immigrants have access to counsel.

Sincerely,

Your friends at the SPLC

“A transparent attempt to chill free speech and intimidate immigrants who speak up” indeed. This was ugly and wrong.

As is the Trump-declared war on immigrants.

It must stop.

More about Dany’s case here. Read. Celebrate tonight. Remember the many, many who do not make the news.